New Delhi: They suffered losses of around Rs 10-11,000 crore due to the INDI bloc’s rally at Ramlila Maidan on Sunday, Delhi’s trading community has claimed.
The gathering brought business activity across several major commercial hubs in the national capital to a near standstill during the crucial Diwali shopping season, traders have alleged.
The Chamber of Trade and Industry (CTI) has claimed that around 80 per cent of shops in markets surrounding the rally venue remained closed amid concerns over traffic restrictions, road closures and the expected arrival of large crowds.
Nearly 2.5 lakh shops out of about three lakh shops across 20-25 major markets were shut on Sunday, CTI chairman Brijesh Goyal said.
The closures had affected not just retailers but also wholesalers, suppliers, transporters and buyers who regularly travel to Delhi from neighbouring towns for business, he said.
Goyal said the trading community had suffered substantial financial losses due to the disruption, he told ANI.
“Due to the rally held at Ramlila Maidan today, about 20 to 25 major markets in the vicinity were affected. These historic markets house approximately 3,00,000 shops. Based on data we received this evening from various WhatsApp groups, comprising traders from different markets under the CTA (Confederation of All India Traders), about 80 per cent of these shops, roughly 2,50,000 out of 3,00,000, remained closed today,” he said.
Around three lakh to four lakh buyers, dealers and customers who normally travel to the capital from neighbouring towns did not arrive due to the disruption, Goyal said.
He said that the movement of goods was also severely affected, with approximately 5,000 vehicles, including small tempos, trucks and larger goods carriers, reportedly unable to operate normally.
The loading and unloading of goods had been disrupted, affecting supplies from industrial areas and transport hubs to wholesale markets in Old Delhi and Central Delhi, he said.
“The movement of goods, loading and unloading, was completely disrupted. During the peak Diwali season, these markets with individual turnovers collectively generate business worth approximately 10,000 to 12,000 crore rupees. Even where shops remained open, sales were virtually non-existent; there were simply no customers,” Goyal said.
“The question now arises, who will compensate for this loss, or who will make up for it? Will the organisers do so?” he said.
The impact was particularly concerning as traders were operating during the peak festive season, with Dhanteras shopping scheduled just four days after the rally.
The actual financial impact would be assessed after receiving detailed figures from individual markets, Goyal added.
Traders from outside Delhi had cancelled their visits because of the rally and the accompanying traffic restrictions, CTI vice president Rahul Adlakha claimed.
“Even those who have opened their shops are standing idle because there are no buyers. Nobody has come from outside Delhi,” Adlakha told ANI.
The CTI had written a fourth letter to Congress leader Rahul Gandhi, questioning the suggestion that rally participants would contribute to business in the surrounding markets, Goyal said.
“When the markets are closed, and the shops are shut, where will these people go shopping?” he asked.
The financial losses claimed by traders come after several associations had raised objections to holding the INDI bloc rally at Ramlila Maidan during the festive trading period, as reported by News18.
The Federation of Sadar Bazar Trades Association had written to Rahul Gandhi, urging him to intervene and ensure that the rally be postponed until after November 10.
The period between Dhanteras and Diwali accounts for business turnover of approximately Rs 25,000 crore in Delhi, making it one of the most important trading windows for the city’s commercial establishments, the association had said.
Traders had already suffered losses of around Rs 3,000 crore during September and October due to repeated protests, rallies and traffic restrictions, it has claimed.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav and Trinamool Congress supremo Mamata Banerjee were also approached by the Federation and Kirana Committee Delhi to intervene in the matter.
Members of the Automotive Parts Merchant Association (APMA), based at Kashmere Gate, had also warned that the rally could severely affect wholesale trade in the area.
The timing and venue were inappropriate, particularly with major commercial hubs such as Chandni Chowk, Sadar Bazaar, Daryaganj, Mori Gate and Kashmere Gate located within a three-kilometre radius of Ramlila Maidan, APMA president Vinay Narang had said.
“We are not aligned with any political party, nor are we against democratic protests. But the timing and the venue are completely wrong. Ramlila Maidan is located in the middle of Asia’s largest commercial zone,” he had said.
Despite repeated requests, the INDI bloc eventually held its November 1 rally at Ramlila Maidan.